Method of installing and assembling wallboards



Feb. 22, 1938. c, wg c 2,109,448

METHOD OF INSTALLING AND ASSEMBLING WALLBOARDS Fig led June 24, 1935 gww Patented Feb. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF INSTALLING AND ASSEMBLING WALLBOARDS Clifton Welch, Pensacola, Fla., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Jack A. Goodman, Columbus,

Ohio

This invention relates to an improved method and means of installing panels of fiber or other equivalent wall board in mounted positions in connection with thewalls and ceilings of rooms. 5 The primary object of the invention-resides in the provision of a simple and improved metallic clip by which the adjoining edge portions of such wall board are held in fastened relationship with wall joistsor beams and wherein the clip is en- 10 tirely concealed from exterior view when the wall board panels are installed and arranged in assembled relationship.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination of elements and arrangements of parts hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing: 20 Fig. 1 is a perspective view disclosing a pair of the securing clips comprising the present invention in their operative positions for effecting the support and fastening of a wall board panel in connection with an accompanying joist; 25 Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the plane disclosed by the line II--II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the clips; Fig. 4 is a detail plan view disclosing one of the methods employed in assembling wall panels with the use of the clips comprising the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a similar view of a modified form of cl p;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a still further modified 85 form of clip;

Fig. '7 is a transverse sectional view on the plane indicated by the line VIIVII of Fig. 5.

In building construction, it is now quite common to finish the side walls and ceiling of a room 40 with preformed panels of fiber or other wallboard. Such panels are obtainable in standard sizes and not only present a desired decorative appearance when applied to room walls but in addition have other advantages such as their ability to resist 45 heat transmission, the control of room acoustics and also economy in building construction. It has been a common practice, however, to nail these panels in their applied or operative positions and frequently it is a diificult matter to 50 conceal these fastening appliances after the wall panels have been assembled, the visible heads of the fastening appliances detracting materially from the desired appearance of the wall construction. 55 To overcome these difliculties and to enable such wall board panels to be readily assembled in wall forming order and after such assembly to entirely conceal the fastening elements from ex-. terior view, I have provided a metallic clip, indicated in its entirety by the numeral l in the accompanying drawing. This clip is preferably of integral formation, being stamped from a single sheet of metal, and is formed to include a base 2 in which is provided an opening 3 for the reception of a nail 4, which is used in mounting 10 the clip in connection with a nailing strip or joist 5 of a wall or ceiling. The base 2 terminates at one end in a laterally bent shoulder 6, which terminates at,its outer end in a forwardly directed substantially triangular prong 1, the plane of which being parallel with the plane of the base 2 but offset thereby by reason of the shoulder construction 6. The triangle forming the prong I has its base line equal in width to the width of the clip itself and the sides of the triangle are longer than the base line so that a long sharp point is produced. The sides of the prong I are preferably provided with barbs 8 which are sprung slightly from the general plane of the prong I, with one of said barbs extending upwardly above the prong and the other downwardly below said prong.

In the use of the clip, I insert the same at intervals, as shown in Fig. 4, into the edge portions of the wall board panels, indicated at 9. The shape of the prongs facilitates this insertionand the barbs act to resist outward dislodgment of the clips from connection with the panels after I the clips have been forced therein. 9 The shoulders 6 of the clips limit the extent of this insertive movement and lie flush with the edge walls of said panels. Inasmuch as the panels are formed from a relatively yieldable material and the clips are formed from thin sheet metal, the shoulders do not interfere with the close joining of adjacent panels, as shown in Fig. 2. Of course, the panels may be recessed, if desired, to accommodate the shoulders of said clips so that the meeting edges of adjacent panels may directly contact each other.

After the clips have been inserted in longitudinally spaced order in the sides of the panels, the panels 9', as shown in Fig. 4, which are preferably placed in the center of a wall or ceiling, are secured to the joist 5 by nailing all of the clips connected therewith to said joists, that is, on both sides of the panels 9'. However, after the panels 9 have been installed, from then on it is merely necessary to nail the clips to the joist 5 along but one of the edges of the panels. This is accomplished, as indicated in Fig. 4, by ad-- vancing the panel section 9" with the clips inserted in the side edges thereof, in the direction indicated by the arrow A, so that the base portion of the clipsprotruding from the left side of the panel 9" will be inserted between the inner surfaces of the panels 9' and the joist 5. When the clips at the left of the panel 9" are thus positioned, the clips at the right of said last-named panel may then be nailed to the complemental joist 5. This procedure is then carried out until all of the panels have been assembled over an entire room or wall surface.

In the form ofmy invention as disclosed in Fig. 5, the clip is of the same construction as that set forth in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive with the exception that the barbs 8 are omitted.

' disclosed in Fig. 6 has the furtheradvantage of avoiding waste in sheet metal during the manufacture of the clip. a.

While I have described what I consider to be the preferred forms of my invention, nevertheless it will be understood that the same is subject to considerable variation or modification without departing from the essential features thereof as the latter have been defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of installing wallboard panels which comprises providing the longitudinal edges of the individual panels with metallic extensions disposed in the plane of the back walls of said L panels and extending laterally from the marginal edges thereof, directly securing certain of said extensions to a wall joist along one side of each of said panels, and positioning the extensions along the opposite edge of each of said panels between the joist and the back walls of adjoining panels.

2. The method of installing wall board panels" wherein each of the panels has opposite edges thereof. provided with longitudinally spaced laterally projecting extensions which lie in the planes of the back walls of said panels and wherein said extensions are adapted to be connected with wall joists, comprising the steps of securing a central row of said panels to said joists by directly nailing the securing extensions of said row of panels to complemental joists, then inserting the adjoining extensions on the next row of panels between the back surfaces of the panels comprising the first row and said joists, and nailing the extensions on the opposite edge portions of the second laid row of panels to their comple-' mental joists.

3. The method of installing wall board panels which comprises rigidly securing a panel to supporting joists, providing the longitudinal edges of a second panel with metallic extensions disposed in the plane of the back wall of said panel and extending laterally from the marginal edges thereof, positioning the extensions along one edge of the second panel between the back wall of the previously attached panel and its supporting joist and rigidly securing the extensions along the opposite edge of the second panel to a wall joist.

4. The method of installing wall board panels which comprises providing the longitudinal edges of the panels with metallic extensions disposed in the plane of the back walls of said panels and extending laterally from the marginal edges thereof, rigidly securing said extensions along both edges of the first panel to the wall joists and then applying each succeeding panel by positioning the extensions along one edge of said panel between the previously attached panel and its supporting joist and nailing the extensions along the opposite edge to a wall joist.

cLIFroN WELCH. 

